Heart Shaped Cloud
by Shining Swordsman
Summary: A heart shaped cloud starts the build up of a relationship between a certain blond haired Hokage and a pink haired medicnin.  Too bad ANBU seems to interrupt most of their big moments. [NaruSaku]
1. Gazing

_Here's a story for all you Naruto x Sakura fans out there._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, BELIEVE IT!_

* * *

**Gazing**

* * *

A handsome, young man sat behind his desk, checking over several papers and putting them in huge, tall stacks. The window beside him filtered in the sunlight from the outside world, making his gold tinted hair glow with the utmost radiance. He was busy writing things down on a scroll, reading it over, putting it on one stack, and then taking another paper from another stack, and doing the whole process over. The room was silent, the scribbling of the pen and the rustling of the papers being the only sound throughout the room. After a while, he sighed deeply and tilted his head back to rest on the chair. 

He closed his eyes, covering up the dull shade of blue in his eyes, and relaxed for a moment. The simple fact was that he was bored. For the whole day, he had planted his butt on the chair, and for the whole morning, he had been reading and signing hundreds of documents. If he knew that this job would be this boring, he might as well just become ANBU Captain or something. At least he would get some type of action and still be able to protect his precious people.

Still, he wouldn't give this up until he had to and the only way to do that was for him to grow extremely old or to die. All his life, he's worked to achieve this title and have his own face sculpted on the mountain behind the tower he worked in. He's endured so much pain, loneliness, and torture, just to reach this goal. At least everybody respected him and acknowledged him, which is really what he always wanted. The villagers would give happy smiles now, waving and greeting him with the kindness that he never got as a child.

Everything was great, except for one thing. He was 22, the leader of Konoha, the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, the best friend of the now returned Uchiha Sasuke, and the person that all people in the village look up to, but there was one thing missing. He's wanted it since he first laid eyes on it. It's been one of his main goals all his life, one that hasn't been reached yet. The soft, silky pink hair, the shining emerald eyes, her perfect body, her smooth, creamy skin, and her flawless face. She was the epitome of perfect in his vision, and he wanted her to be his.

Her name was Haruno Sakura. She was the apprentice of the Godaime, and is now the best medic-nin in the whole village. She is the head medic at the hospital, and his personal assistant if she had time. Her ability as a ninja had grown exponentially, and she was now on par with Naruto and Sasuke. Just like their mentors, the three members of the old Team 7 were now known as Sannins. Together, they were unstoppable, as well as individually.

Sakura was known as the most beautiful ninja in Konoha, much to Ino's dislike. She was also known for being the most scariest, her monstrous strength and medical knowhow being the fact behind this. Although he was the Hokage, she would occasionally give him a punch or two when they hung out.

She had changed over the past few years. He thought that she would be all over Sasuke when he brought him back about 2 years ago, but was hugely surprised when she just showed concern over a friend and not a love. He even questioned her about, but the only thing she said before taking off in a hurry was, "I'm not in love with him anymore. There's someone else." Although, she said that last part in a distant whisper, he heard it and swore he saw a blush. He decided not to press on about it, not wanting to get his hopes too high.

A knock at the door broke him from his relaxation and got into a working posture. He grabbed some random paper and placed a pen in his hand, trying to look like he was working.

"Come in!"

His eyes sparkled with joy when the sight of pink hair entered his view. If she was here, that meant one thing.

"Ramen!"

She just shook her head and chuckled, seeing the way he behaved when she came in.

"_You'll always be Naruto." _She thought.

"Hold on there Mr. Hokage," she said playfully, "we're not going until I've checked all your work. As your assistant, I have to check for-"

She stopped when she felt a breeze tickle her face. The window behind was opened, signaling his escape.

"Come on Sakura-chan! I'm starving!"

She just felt a little bit of annoyance, before she sighed heavily and proceeded to follow him towards Ichiraku Ramen. Joining up with him, they started their casual walk towards the restaurant, Naruto placing his arms behind his head.

"Seriously Naruto, you should've finished all those papers first."

"I could, but I'm hungry. Can't work on an empty stomach, y'know."

"Still same old Naruto."

"Oh am I?"

In truth, the hyperactive blond haired ninja had developed quite a lot during the last couple of years. He was more mature that he was when he was 16, having a more manly stature and more of a grown up personality, although his childish side would come up once in a while. His body was well toned, muscular, yet slender at the same time. The girls in the village would always stare at him when he strolled through the village, which caused Sakura to slightly become angry at them when she went on walks with him.

His hair became more wilder, reaching just over his forehead and towards his eyebrow. Unlike his father, he did not have his hair growing on the sides, giving him a more neater, yet wild look. His shining, blue eyes never changed, still radiating that same heart warming gleam that he had since he was born. One definite change, however, was his change of clothing. Since he was Hokage, he sometimes wore that outfit most Kages wear, but most days he would wear normal clothing. His usual choice of clothes were black pants, a black sweatshirt, and an open green vest. He wore his protector on his upper right arm now, and the standard shinobi sandals. He was always fitted for combat, even on breaks.

They reached the restaurant and almost immediately, he grabbed her hand and rushed them towards their seat. The place was partially empty, except for a few people here and there. Seeing their Hokage in this place wasn't surprising, but when Sakura came along, whispers usually broke out. Said girl couldn't help but blush at the things the villagers said and would try not to look at Naruto.

Why would she blush? She had figured it out. She'd known for several years actually. Her infatuation for the Uchiha avenger was just a childish crush, no actual feelings of love towards him. Becoming mature had that affect on you, and she dug deep, finding that she did in fact have feelings towards Naruto. Seeing his smile, his body, his being as a person always made this twisting feeling in her stomach, and she would often blush and try not to look at him. Everytime it happened, she would look back towards him to find a confused expression on his face and she would just dismiss it as nothing.

She looked forward to all their meetings together, and on certain days, she would catch herself staring at him and sometimes he would catch her. She knew that she liked him, and she knew that he like her. The fact that he would die to protect her or for her happiness made her certain that he liked her, or possibly even loved her. Sure, in their younger days he would proclaim to love her, but that was different. Saying "I love you" as a 13 year old is much more simple than when you're 22 and Sakura had no clue on how to deal with it.

The truth is, they were scared. If they admitted their feelings, and were wrong, their entire friendship could be ruined, and they both did not want to happen. Naruto wasn't as dense as everyone else thought he was. He saw the signs. The way she would stare at him, the way she would get angry at the females that gawked at him, the way she clung onto him, and the way she would sometimes blush around him. But what if those signs meant something else? He didn't know, and so he would never make the move.

30 minutes later, the two had finished eating and were on their way towards the training grounds. She figured that Naruto was bored doing all that paperwork, so they decided for a light spar. Reaching the old training grounds, they were surprised to see their teammate on the ground meditating. He opened one eye upon feeling people surround him, and smirked.

"Well look who's here. Hokage-dobe, what are you doing here?"

"Hmmm...I was just thinking that today a certain Uchiha needed his ass kicked?"

"Geez guys. Can't you guys greet each other normally?"

"No." They said in unison.

"Whatever. Listen, me and Naruto were about to have a friendly spar, wanna join?"

"S-"

The Uchiha was cut off when a puff of smoke revealed a ninja with a mask on.

"Captain, we need you at the base," he noticed the Hokage, "good afternoon Hokage-sama."

"Good afternoon. How's things at the HQ?"

"Hectic as always. Captain, they need you there now."

Sasuke just gave a sigh and reached for his mask.

"Guess I'll have to kick you butt another day, huh?"

"You can try. See you later."

He just smirked and nodded at the both of them before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

"Come on Naruto. Let's warm up shall we."

"Sure!"

Sakura threw a punch at him and now the fight was on.

It wasn't until early evening that they stopped. Apparently, their friendly little spar had turned into a full blown fight, and the two were having the time of their lives. They both lay on the ground, panting heavily as the cool breeze of the coming evening blew across their skin.

"You're...strong...Sakura-chan."

"So...are...you...But I guess...you have to be since...you're the Hokage now."

"Yeah."

They both stared at the sky, gazing at the orange pigment of the sky and the hovering masses of clouds. The clouds were different shapes and sizes, and seemed to look like different objects. However, one cloud stood out from the rest as they were both looking at it. It was the shape of a heart. Naruto and Sakura both turned to look at each other, meeting each other's gaze. They looked into each others eyes, her emerald orbs matching his pure blue spheres. They felt this weird connection that made them stay like that, feeling like an eternity trapped in that gaze. They couldn't tear away, and found it hard to believe what was happening.

Naruto was about to move until a puff of smoke interrupted their moment. An ANBU appeared from the smoke and looked down to see the Hokage on the ground.

"Hokage-sama, the council is asking for you in another meeting."

Getting up, he brushed himself off before nodding at the ninja to go. Finding Sakura still laying there, he walked over to her and put out a hand, which she graciously took, although trying very hard to not look at him. The contact of their hands sent a shiver up their spines, which caused them to unconsciously blush. They didn't what was going on, but before they could go on about it, Naruto remembered the meeting. Missing a meeting with the council was not good at all.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan. Looks like I...um...got to go?"

"Y-Yeah." She stuttered, obviously still flustered over their gazing towards each other.

"See ya!"

He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, giving her a smile that made her stomach turn. Regaining her senses, she started walking home for some well need rest and some time to think.

"_What just happened?" _She started. _"It was as if I was trapped in his eyes. Those blue eyes. So happy and joyous on the outside, yet so mysterious the deeper I looked at it." _She began to think some more, unconsciously walking the path towards her house. _"I think he was gonna make a move as well. So confusing!"_

She sighed, trying to clear her head of the last few minutes. First, they were sparring. Then they were watching clouds. All of a sudden, she noticed a heart shaped cloud and then that's when the whole eye thing started.

"_Stupid ANBU." _She mentally cursed that ANBU guy for interrupting a moment like that. The whole setting seemed perfect to tell him her feelings and she even had enough confidence to tell him right then and there.

Reaching her house, she undressed and went into the bathroom to clean up and proceeded to make some dinner. After cleaning the dishes, she went to work on some papers before heading to bed. The minute she closed her eyes, the memories of today popped into her head, causing her to twist and turn.

"Look at what you've done now, you lunkhead."

* * *

Naruto had no such luck sleeping at all as well. After the boring meeting with the council about his duties as Hokage, he went straight to Ichiraku and then his room in the Hokage tower. Just like Sakura, his mind had been plagued with the same thoughts as her, which in turn, didn't make sleep come any easier. 

"_Hey, Kyuubi."_

A low growl was echoed through his mind, until a gruff voice entered.

"**_What do you want, Kit?"_ **The beast questioned, annoyed at his container disturbing his rest.

"_Do you think Sakura-chan likes me?" _

"_**What do I look like? A matchmaker? Leave me alone." **_The fox just stopped talking and proceeded to go to sleep, again.

"Stupid fox." The blond haired Hokage muttered before trying another attempt of going to sleep, trying to not think about a certain pink haired kunoichi.

* * *

_Um...there's the first chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it and be sure to read and review._


	2. Close Call

_Thanks for the reviews guys and I hope that this chapter will be as good._

_Disclaimer: If you wish to add a NaruSaku pairing in the actual manga, contact Kishimoto because he owns Naruto, not me._

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**Close Call**

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He cracked open his eyes to find that the room was still dark. It was brighter than night, yet too dark for it to be morning. He turned his gaze towards the noising clock that was to his right. 

"_5:30. Only 4 hours of sleep."_

He released a deep breath, slightly relaxing some tension in his body. He sat up and stretched out his back and arms, the cracking of his bones echoing throughout the large room. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he lazily walked towards his personal bathroom, dragging his feet along the royal blue carpet. This is how he always started his mornings, even if he didn't get much sleep. He was the Hokage now, which means he had to fulfill responsibilities that could affect the future of this village, even if it was just signing countless documents.

After cleaning himself for the day, he glanced at the clock to find that 15 minutes had passed and decided a quick breakfast was in order. Contrary to popular belief, Naruto did not choose ramen for his breakfast. He needed energy for the day, and a single cup of ramen was not one for the job. Instead, he took out a glass of orange juice, some healthy cereal, and a side of apples, strawberries, and bananas. About 30 minutes later, he finished his breakfast and started to clean up. Throwing away the empty box of cereal, he quickly cleaned the dishes and put on the Hokage robe.

Looking at his reflection through his mirror, he smiled at himself, commenting on how cool he looks, before heading outside his door. Walking down the seemingly empty hallway, his footsteps echoed throughout the corridor, as the windows around him showed the incoming light of early morning. The sun was just about to rise, casting little light to spread over the village. He could see some villagers already up and setting up their shops and could have sworn he saw a green blur run throughout the streets.

Reaching his door, he opened it surprised to find the pink haired beauty at her desk, with a large stack of papers on her left, and a medium sized stack of papers on her right. She was reading something, before noticing the blond haired Hokage come in.

"S-Sakura-chan! What are you doing here?"

She yawned a little before answering. "Oh, I just came in to do some work. I woke up a couple hours ago and since I couldn't go back to sleep and I have a day off today, I figured I'd just come down here to finish whatever documents I could to help you out."

"You didn't have to do that." He replied, surprised and thankful that she came in. That spar yesterday sure did a number on him, and that huge stack of documents on his desk was still there, although it was a little bit shorter thanks to Sakura.

"It's okay. I wanted to come anyway."

"Oh. Thanks, Sakura-chan." He flashed her a nice big smile, despite his sleepiness. She faintly blushed at this, confused as to why she felt this way when he smiled.

"N-No problem. Now, let's get started. The sooner we do, the sooner we get done."

"Yeah."

* * *

Noon had just struck Konoha, and the village was buzzing with energy and life. Two people in the office were just about done with their final papers, the whisker faced man finally adding the last of his signatures on a document. They would've been done a lot sooner, but found it hard to concentrate when the one person plaguing your mind is with you, alone in the office. They would often glance at each other, only to turn back if the other person started looking. 

Sakura hadn't felt this uncomfortable working with Naruto before, and vise-versa, so why now. Was it because of yesterday? Or maybe it was those dreams they both had about each other? Both of them had a pretty rough hint at the cause of this, but they were too scared to move forward.

Dropping the pen on the table, the medic-nin just sighed, thankful that this dreadful morning was finished. She didn't know what pushed her into coming here, but she came and she stayed. Naruto did the same thing, wondering if becoming ANBU Captain would have been a better job. Dismissing that thought, he looked over towards his best friend, and upon seeing that she was finished, decided that they should go stretch their legs or something. Plus, the rumbling in his stomach made him press on the matter.

"Are you finished, Sakura-chan?"

"Yeah, finally!" She practically screamed, relieved that this boringness was over.

"Wanna get a bite to eat?"

Hearing the low growl coming from her belly, she blushed a little and agreed. Landing outside the tower, they went towards the direction of Ichiraku, just like the day before. Walking at a leisurely pace, the two just started talking about small things, like life, ninja stuff, friends, and other things like that. They were both enjoying each other's company, having this feeling of contentment and happiness with just being around each other.

"What do you wanna do after we eat?" Sakura asked, hoping they could do more things together. Maybe that way, it would be easier to bring out her feelings for him without fear of rejection.

"I don't know. How about a visit to the school? Haven't done that in a while."

"That's a great idea."

As a medical ninja, she took great pride in her job at the hospital. She absolutely adored children, and she would often treat them and make them happy. Her favorite thing to see is their bright expressions that were so full of energy, so full of happiness. Just like Naruto.

Reaching the restaurant, Naruto gestured for Sakura to enter first like a gentleman, which she appreciatively accepted. Following after her, he took a seat right beside her and ordered their food. After finishing their meals, satisfied with what they ate, the two best friends went towards the Academy. Seeing as how it was 12:30, the kids should be back in class and so the two of them took that opportunity to pop in.

Iruka was in the middle of explaining the Hokage and what they do when the door slid open to find a pink haired woman and a man in the traditional Hokage robes. Smiling at his two former students, he turned towards the class to introduce the two people.

"Class, I'd like you to meet 2 people very dear to me. The girl with the pink hair is the head of the medical facility and her name is Haruno Sakura."

She smiled and waved to the kids.

"And the one in the robes is the one and only 6th Hokage."

Naruto tilted his face to let the youngsters get a better view of his face. The girls in the class just "ahhed" while the guys were "cool!"

"Hey kids!"

"Hi Hokage-sama!" The class said in unison.

"You all look like you'll all grow up to be fantastic ninja in the future. Any of you wanna be the Hokage someday?"

A few kids raised their hands, some more proudly that others.

"Well, you're gonna have to work hard and make lots of friends and train to become strong like I did."

Sakura just looked at him adoringly, remembering all the hard work and all the things he's gone through and done just to reach the title he has today. This look, however, did not go unnoticed by a few kids. One girl with long, black pigtails raised her hand to ask a question.

"Yes, girl with the pigtails."

"Um, Hokage-sama, is that your girlfriend?" She said, pointing over to the flinching Sakura.

The two merely blushed in surprise and Sakura became redder at being caught staring at Naruto like that. Iruka had to stifle a laugh or else Sakura would beat him senseless if he brought it up.

"Why would you say that? She's just my best friend." He replied. _"Though, I hope we could be more."_

The same girl replied. "Because she was st-"

"HEY LOOK! IT'S OROCHIMARU IN A THONG!!" Sakura screamed, interrupting the little girl. Naruto immediately was on full alert at the mention of Orochimaru, but when the word thong entered his mind, he had desperately tried to take out the horrendous picture out of his mind. The same little girl and her classmates, just put on a confused expression.

"Who's Orochimaru and what's a thong?"

"Well," Naruto started, "Orochimaru's this really ugly and evil guy that's dead and a thong is a-"

Again, Sakura interrupted, wanting to get out of here before anything else more humiliating came out that could possibly lead to the one thing she didn't want to get out just yet.

"OH LOOK AT THE TIME! GOT TO GO!"

"But, Saku-"

Grabbing him, she quickly dragged him out of the school using her monstrous strength to haul him out of there. Once outside, she stopped dragging him and sighed a breath of relief.

"_Whew, that was close."_

"That was strange Sakura-chan."

"Yeah."

"Why do you think that little girl thought you were my girlfriend?"

"Um...I don't know. You know kids, always jumping to conclusions. They just speak without thinking."

"I guess you're right. So what do you want to do now?"

Just then, a puff of smoke appeared in front of them, revealing an ANBU ninja.

"Hokage-sama. The council requires your presence at a meeting right now."

Naruto, slightly disappointed at losing his time with Sakura, agreed and dismissed him.

"Sorry about that, Sakura-chan. Duty calls."

"Could we do something later." She blurted out without realizing it.

"Um...sure." He replied, slightly surprised at what she suggested.

"Cool. See you later then."

"Yeah, bye."

* * *

It was about 7:00 when the meeting had ended and Naruto was just bored, really bored. The whole meeting had dragged on longer than he thought, and his body did not take to sitting still for 6 hours. Getting up from his seat, his bones cracked, releasing the tension that was built up during the dreadful meeting. It was about finances and Naruto didn't even seem to be needed there at all. Though, there was still one thing he looked forward to. Seeing his dear Sakura-chan. Tonight, he felt that this night was going to be a special. 

Sakura had done nothing but pamper herself after separating from Naruto. It was her day off and no one had bothered her at all to come to the hospital, which was quite rare on her day off. She stood in front of a mirror, examining herself to just confirm how good she looked.

She wore a short black skirt that reached up to her mid thigh, exposing a fair amount of her smooth legs. She wore the high heels Tsunade had given her last year, which were stylish and great for combat. She wore a spaghetti strapped shirt and a red jacket over that. This was the way she would dress during her offs, just casual yet ready for battle.

She was just about to go see if Naruto was done with the meeting, but a knock on the beat her to it. Opening for the door, she was surprised to see Naruto standing there. He was wearing a simple dark blue, long sleeved shirt, buttoned up leaving off the top two buttons, a white undershirt, and black pants. Feeling herself blush, she quickly looked towards the ground, not wanting to get caught blushing or staring. Looking back up, he was still holding a smile that made her heart melt, but his voice broke through her mind.

"Hello Sakura-chan."

"Hi Naruto." She said, feeling a little bit more comfortable right now.

"So...what do you want to do now?"

Thinking for a moment, her stomach growled at her lack of dinner, and when she heard his, she knew he felt the same way.

"How about a bite to eat?"

"Sure."

"Where should we go?" She asked, already knowing his answer.

"How about that new restaurant that just opened up?"

She was in utter shock when he replied. She hadn't expected that answer in her lifetime, yet here he was, all handsome and nice, saying he didn't want to eat ramen for dinner.

"Alright." She said after getting rid of her initial shock.

The two walked out of the apartment complex and into the busy streets of Konoha. As they were walking, they noticed multiple stares from the villagers and hushed whispers, undoubtedly about the two of them. From a stranger's point of view, it looked like the two were on a romantic date, plus the fact that it was the Hokage and the head of the medical facility walking together in what was considered to be "date style" clothes. Thinking it over, the pink haired kunoichi wondered why Naruto was so dressed up tonight and questioned him.

"Why are you dressed up so nicely? We are just hanging out, right?" She asked, wondering what his reply would be.

"Oh...um...," he stuttered. He thought this would be a perfect night for the two of them to be alone and so before he went over to her house, he decided to dress up and look nice. Maybe she would accept this as a date, but then he remembered last time he called it that. He still had a slight scar to prove it. "All my other clothes were dirty."

"Oh." She said, not actually buying it, but she felt sort of relieved he hadn't called it a date. If it was, she wouldn't know whether to dismiss it or go along with it. The latter would lead to something that she didn't have the confidence for yet and so she accepted it.

"Look, we're here." They both looked up to see a huge neon sign that shone brightly in the shadows of night.

Opening the entrance doors, he bowed and gestured for her to go inside, being the sweet gentleman he is.

"After you, m'lady."

"Why thank you, Hokage-sama." She added, with a sweet, gentle voice that sent shivers up his spine when she called him that.

"_Looks likes tonight's a good night."_

* * *

_I'm not sure how well this chapter turned out, but I don't think it has that certain "oomf" like the first chapter had. Still, I tried my best and I hope it was a great chapter._

_Please review._


	3. Shadow Shaped Heart

_Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. You readers are what keeps me motivated and I'm happy that you took the time to review this story._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or do I?...Nope, Masashi Kishimoto owns it._

* * *

**Shadow Shaped Heart**

* * *

The streets of Konoha were bustling with people and business. One restaurant, however, was in a hectic state. "The Heart Shaped Cloud Restaurant" illuminated the surrounding area, its bright display catching the attention of the passing people. There was a banner above the entrance that read "Grand Opening" as the door opened and closed to reveal many satisfied and curious customers.

Walking through the doors, two people just stared in awe at the beauty of the restaurant. There was an elegant fountain in the middle, and outrageous displays of art all around the spacious building. Everything sparkled with detailed expressions of work, professionally crafted to make this as elegant and beautiful as it could possibly be. Expensive chandeliers hung on the ceiling, sparkling as the light from within it covered the whole restaurant with a golden display of light.

Walking up to the receptionist, a blond haired man and a pink haired woman began to order their tables.

"Table for two please." The blond haired gentleman asked.

Looking up, girl at the stand gasped to see a wonderful sea of blue. She then saw the blond hair, the whiskers, and then the whole face. Looking over to the side, she saw a beautiful woman with pink hair and a curious face looking around the place. Realizing who they were, she stiffened up slightly and reached for a hidden microphone in her ear.

"The Hokage and the head of the hospital are here sir. What should I do?"

The man on the other end nearly fainted, hearing that the two biggest people in the village were here on their first day.

"GET THEM THE BEST SEATS YOU COULD FIND! EVEN IF IT MEANS KICKING SOMEBODY OUT! MAKE SURE THEY GET WHATEVER THEY WANT! UNDERSTAND!" He yelled, making her slightly flinch at the volume of his voice.

"Are you okay miss?" The Hokage asked after seeing her flinch a little.

"Y-Yeah. Follow me please." She gently said, being sure to put on the best smile she could.

As they were walking, Naruto and Sakura noticed most of the people staring at them, also taking note of the level of quietness in the restaurant. It seemed pretty awkward to have people staring at you for who knows what, although the two had a clue as to what they were thinking. Finally reaching the table, two waiters pulled their chairs in, which they gratefully thanked for, but got a surprise when hey pushed them in.

"Thank you." Naruto said, a little weirded out by the display of...um...service.

Immediately, a violinist came by and started playing some soft, gently music, making them sweat dropped.

"Thought this wasn't a date?" She whispered.

"I didn't know about this." He whispered back, preparing himself for the yell or hit that came.

"Whatever." Sakura said as she looked at the menu to decide what she should get.

"_I wonder if this is a date." _She thought to herself, analyzing everything that happened tonight.

"What could I get you tonight?" A waitress asked in the most gentle and nice voice she's ever used.

"Um...10 bowls Hearted Ramen, 10 bowls of your Cloud Ramen, and a...bowl of rice please, oh and some tea as well."

Writing them down, she turned to Sakura who seemed to be picking what she wanted.

"And you miss?"

"I'd like to try your Fluffy Salad, and your Heart Warming Soup please."

"What would you like to drink?"

"Water."

"Thank you." The waitress said, bowing and then leaving towards the kitchen. After a while of silence, Naruto decided to engage in some type of conversation.

"This place has some weird names for their food." He said, adding some humor tonight.

"Yeah." Sakura felt really weird since Naruto showed up at her door. She's never been this uncomfortable around Naruto before, but given the circumstances, she has some basis to what she's feeling.

Naruto then looked at her over, staring at the sheer beauty that was always present. His eyes rested on her luscious lips and then to her face. Her skin looked so soft and perfect, her emerald eyes and pink hair making her look even more stunning.

"You look very beautiful, Sakura-chan." He gently smiled, looking at her with affectionate eyes.

"Th-Thanks, Naruto." She blushed as her heart melted at the smile and eyes he was giving her.

"You look very handsome, too." He blushed as well, seeing as how this was the first time she''s ever called him that before. He noticed the faint blush on her face as well as the same type of eyes he gave her moments ago.

"Th-Thanks, Sakura-chan."

Several waiters and waitresses came and gave them their food and the two began their dinner.

* * *

The two finished their dinner about an hour later, paying their enormous bill that left the owner happy and was now on a casual walk around the lake. The moon overhead shined its light over the ocean, casting a sparkling sea of water surround them. The stars shined brightly and a few clouds flew over them, casting a shadow of their whatever shape they were onto the ground below it. The two were on a hill beside the glittering lake, taking a calm walk with each other. 

The two enjoyed being in each other's company and would often find themselves getting closer to each other, only to blush and spread apart slightly. Many thoughts were going on in their minds, deciding what they should do next. Sakura felt really nervous, concluding that now would be the perfect time to tell him her feelings. Naruto was doing the same thing, working up the courage to say somethings he's always wanted to say to her the first time he saw her.

"Naruto." She called, finally taking the step forward.

He turned to her, his eyes holding this gleam that motivated her to keep going.

"I have something to tell you."

"What is it, Sakura-chan?" He asked, a little hope in his voice.

"For a while now, I've...had these um..." She trailed away, internally debating with herself.

"You've had these what?" He asked, confused. She just took a deep breath and finally decided that this was the time.

"Naruto, I li-"

She was interrupted when an ANBU ninja appeared in a puff of smoke. She immediately grew annoyed at this and look towards the ninja with the most aggravated look she could give.

"Hokage-sama, the council wants you at a meeting right now. They say it's top priority that you get to the meeting immediately."

"I'll be right there." Naruto said, with a slight disappointment in his voice.

The ANBU just nodded his head and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Sorry about that, Sakura-chan. Looks like I have to go. What did you want to say to me?"

"N-Nothing. You should go or else the council will get super mad at you." She said, a little disappointed as well.

"Okay. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

And just like that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura just stomped the ground, causing it to crack and raise some of the earth up.

"Damn it! So close too!" She mentally cursed the ANBU, again, and she merely left to go home, leaving the shadow shaped heart below her.

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_Pretty short chapter, but I hope the next will be longer. Please read and review._


	4. If Only

_Finally, I get to update this story. First of all, I want to say thanks to all the people who reviewed. I'm also flattered that a number of people favorited this story and favorited me as well. Just try and leave a review, though I won't go on a rant about them._

_Also, I'm not sure how long till this story finishes. This will **probably** be the second to last chapter._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Didn't I tell you this the last 3 chapters?_

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**If Only**

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Sakura stirred in her bed, a slight smile plastered on her face. She was stuck...stuck in a dream. A dream where it was Naruto and her sitting on the edge of a small lake, side by side. It felt real. She could feel her heart pounding, her emotions bubbling, her affection for him growing second by second. They were so close to each other, that she nearly jumped when he suddenly turned his head to look at her.

She had ceased her stirring, only to be replaced with incoherent sounds of...a moan. The smile on her face grew wider and wider, as she began to hug her pillow even harder.

"BeepBeepBeep...BeepBeepBeep...BeepBeepBeep..."

Frowning, she threw her pillow at the ruiner of her dreams, causing it to crash and break. Satisfied that the annoying beeping was off, she proceeded to go back to sleep and recapture that dream, only to find that she couldn't. Giving up, she sat up lazily, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"Stupid clock." She muttered, rubbing her eyes to rid them of sleep.

"It felt so real." Getting up from her bed, she walked towards her window for some reason. It was still dark out, but the sun had started to rise slowly, shining little light across the village. She looked towards the Hokage building and lightly touched her lips as she remembered her dream.

"If only..."

Scratching the top of his head, he yawned slightly, dragging his tired legs across the plush carpet. He came home pretty late last night from his meeting with the council. It had lasted until midnight since it was another topic about finances and all that government type stuff. Not to mention that he was having one of the best dreams ever, only to be shattered by an annoying alarm clock.

"Stupid clock." He whispered to himself, cursing the person that invented those annoying things.

Looking out of his window on the middle floor, he saw that the sun had barely made it up yet, but enough for a little bit of light to spread across the village. He scanned over it, noticing how peaceful it looked in the early hours, before setting his gaze at an all too familiar house. He smiled lightly, remembering his wonderful dream about kissing the love of his life. He touched his lips lightly, trying to see if it really was real.

"If only..."

* * *

It was about noon time and the village was bustling with life as always. People worked frantically throughout the town, either running errands or running their small shops. Inside the Hokage tower, Naruto was doing the same thing as always, reading and signing documents. Sakura was really busy at the hospital, working in overdrive after a large group of Jonins returned from a big S-ranked mission. Most were in critical shape, Kakashi and Gai being part of most wounded.

Seeing that he would have his lunch alone, he finished up a document and sat back on his chair. He closed his eyes, trying to relax and collect his thoughts. His mind started recalling last night, before he had to get to the meeting. He knew that whatever she was going to say was something that she wanted to get out for a while, but what?

"_What do you want to say to me?" _

Then he thought towards his own feelings for the girl. He remembered the first time he saw her, and immediately knew he was in love. Although he was just a kid, he could clearly see that she was the only one for him. This feeling did not dwindle over the years, but grew. It grew until he couldn't take it anymore. The dream he had earlier in the morning was now becoming too common and he knew that if he didn't tell her soon, he was going to go crazy. Opening his eyes, he stared at the ceiling, contemplating on his thoughts when he finally reached a conclusion.

"_That's it! I'll tell her the next chance I get."_

"I'm coming, Sakura-chan," he muttered, "whether you like it or not."

With new determination, he hopped out of his chair and towards Ichiraku.

It had been nonstop work for the head medic-nin. Sweat poured from her face as she delicately wiped it off with her arm. Finally fixing the last wound, she sighed in relief, thankful to have today finished. She looked towards the clock to find that it was already 7:00. Her stomach grumbled from her lack of lunch, and she felt weak. Sitting down on a nearby chair, she rested her head on the wall and closed her eyes. As the patient was being wheeled out, she opened her eyes to find a few lingering doctors finishing up some other stuff.

"I'm checking out."

"Okay. See you tomorrow Sakura."

"See you Ino."

Reaching her house, she stripped off her clothes and immediately stepped into the shower. Her body relaxed as she felt the hot water massage her body. All the tension in her body disappeared as she closed her eyes in total peace. After a while, she stepped out of the bathroom, refreshed and clean and went to get dressed up. Putting on some black plants, a thin red sweater that had a picture of an apple in the middle, and her high heels, she headed out the door grabbing her purse in the process.

She was walking towards Ichiraku because she had this weird craving for ramen right now, but her mind told her otherwise. Ignoring that part right now, she continued to walked casually on the path to Ichiraku, ignoring the eyes of the leering men, and the occasional women that envied her for her body. Finally reaching the bar, her heart skipped a beat when she noticed Naruto on the stools. Smelling the delicious ramen, her stomach growled rather loudly, catching the attention of the blond Hokage.

Turning around, he saw someone behind him, staring towards his direction. His eyes widened when he spotted Sakura standing there. Why wasn't she coming in?

"Hi Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out.

Snapping from her thoughts, she went over to the sit next to him and ordered her meal.

"Hi Sakura-chan! You look beautiful tonight." He said before he could stop himself, but still meant it.

She just blushed and looked around. "Thanks."

There orders came a while later and they both began to eat. There was this awkward silence in the air as they both continued to eat. Finding this silence unbearable, Naruto tried to think of something to say.

"Pretty busy at the hospital?" Looking towards him, she smiled at how relaxed and gentle he looked.

"Yeah. Kakashi and Gai were both beaten up pretty bad and Kiba looked like his arm was gonna come off."

"Are they alright?" He wore a worried expression on his face. He did not like losing ninja on missions that he sent them on and so he felt really guilty if one of them died, although Sakura was usually the one to break him out of his guilt fest.

"Of course. I treated them myself."

"Whew! Thanks Sakura-chan. You truly are the greatest woman I know." He said with sincerity.

Again, she flushed at the comment and her heart started to beat faster at the gaze that he was giving her.

"What are you talking about? What about-"

"No I really mean it. You're strong, smart, compassionate, caring, beautiful, and the list goes on."

If it was impossible for her heart to beat as fast as it did and her face to get redder, then she just broke it.

"Oh please Naruto. I'm sur-"

"Sakura-chan." His voice was stern and he was looking straight at her with his blue orbs. As much as she wanted to look away, she found herself unable to as she was trapped within his gaze.

"Follow me." Getting up, he paid the ramen stand and took Sakura by the hand. He blushed at the feeling of her soft skin against his and he loved it.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked after being led by the hand by Naruto for a while. She felt this shiver go up her spine when she noticed that he was still holding her by the hand and she, too, was loving the feeling of Naruto's hand holding hers.

"You'll see."

Passing the shining lake, they entered a forest as the pink haired medic's curiosity continued to rise.

"_I wonder where he's taking me." _

The forest was lush, full of orange and brown as is commonly associated with November. Leaves had fallen on the ground, covering the soft dirt with an orange wave of brittle leaves. It had grown dark as the crunching of the leaves could be heard echoing throughout the forest. Looking ahead of her, she just noticed that Naruto was wearing the standard Jonin outfit, but without his headband.

They continued to travel through the forest and she desperately wanted to know where he was taking her. Naruto never once looked behind him, but just stared ahead of him. To her, it looked like his was in deep thought, and it puzzled her to know what he was thinking about.

"_What's he thinking about?" _

"Look, we're here."

Coming out from her thoughts, her eyes widened when she saw what was in front of her.

"What the-"

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_Oooh, sorry to leave you guys hanging like that. Anyways, please read and review._


	5. Look Up

_Alright, here it is. The last chapter of Heart Shaped Cloud. Thanks to all the reviewers and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto! How many times do I have to say it!? Gosh!_

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**Look Up**

* * *

"What the-" There, right in front of her, was a small, shining lake. Fireflies buzzed around it, as the crickets chirped a melodious tune as if it was planned. The lake pulsed gently, as the light from the moon above made the lake sparkle beautifully. Sakura just stood in awe, as stared at the beauty in front of her. 

"Naruto." She turned towards the man beside her, coming face to face with the man who brought her here. He had this gleam in his eye that told her that something was going to happen, something concerning him and her.

"How did you find this place?" She asked, wondering how he could have found something as glamorous as this without her knowing about it.

"Being the Hokage does have its benefits." He replied with a smile that made her heart melt.

"It's beautiful." She said, looking around to observe more of her surroundings. The red-orange trees around them rustled along with the gentle breeze of the wind, losing their colorful leaves to dance along the breeze, only to land gently on the water.

"Not as beautiful as you." She turned towards Naruto, a blush decorating her pretty face. She was stunned, even though he's said that many times to her, she couldn't help but feel shocked and appreciative at the same time.

Their eyes met, locked in an unbreakable gaze between blue and green. Their eyes shined in the night, searching each other's feelings. After a while, Naruto broke the silence with his voice.

"Sakura-chan," He said, eyes still locked onto her's. Taking her hands into his, he noticed how soft her hands were and couldn't help but shiver at her touch. Sakura felt the same, stunned yet knew that this is what they both wanted, no, needed to happen. She was just lucky he was the one to move.

"I-" His voice was interrupted when a puff of smoke revealed an ANBU with long, dark blue hair. Her face was covered with a mask, shielding the face of the person that dared to interrupt their special moment.

Sakura looked towards the ANBU, clear annoyance in her eyes. Breaking from his grasp, she turned towards disrupting ninja.

"Hoka-" Her soft, feminine voice spoke before getting brutally interrupted. A hard fist hit the ninja, uppercutting the unsuspecting person on the chin, making her fly through the air at an alarming speed. Coming out from her blind fury, she blinked twice before turning around to face Naruto, who was beyond shocked, yet thankful for that.

"So what were you gonna say?" She said as both of them resumed the position they were in before that ANBU ninja had the nerve to disrupt their special moment.

Deep in the forest, a badly beaten ninja laid groaning in pain. A small whimper could be heard as the shattered pieces of her mask lay beside her. That punch from Sakura sure did a job on her jaw and now it was aching. She couldn't help but shed a single tear, not from physical pain, but in emotional pain.

"_What was I thinking? I can't believe I was doing this."_ She started to mentally scold herself, being the soft, rational person that she is. Her crystal white eyes stared at the clouds above her, noticing a heart shaped cloud slowly drifting away from her towards some other direction.

"_How could I do such a thing? I know you can't hear me, but I'm sorry. Be good to him, Sakura. Give him the love he deserves, the love that I couldn't give him. I hope you guys have a wonderful life together, and just know that I'll always love you, Naruto-kun."_

She smiled, despite the pain from moving her jaw, knowing that if Naruto would be happy, so would she.

Back to the blond haired Hokage and the pink haired medic, they were holding hands, facing each other with their bodies almost touching. Their faces were mere inches apart as the quiet sounds of nature filled the air.

"Sakura-chan," he began, "Ever since I first saw you, I couldn't help but think that she was the prettiest girl I've ever seen. Although I never had a lucky life up until then, I considered that luck took my side when they paired me up with you on our Genin team. Over the years, I've always felt this feeling towards you that was different from any body else."

Sakura's hope raised a little, as her heart felt like it was ready to burst. This was it, the next step towards their relationship with each other. Her hope had raised and she was ready to take this opportunity, determined not to give into doubt.

"I didn't know what this feeling was, but I knew whatever it was, it was strong and for you. I really like you, Sakura-chan, and it's possible that I...I love you."

Like a magnetic attraction towards her, he leaned closer, shutting his eyes closed. Sakura did the same and not too long after, their lips touched. They were in an eternal bliss, a river of emotions being coursed throughout their minds. Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist, as Sakura circled her arms around his neck, pulling them closer to each other, thus deepening the kiss.

After a while, they broke apart at each other for a while. Their lips tingled and their hearts beat fast, and they knew why.

"I...I love you, too." Sakura said, her mind still overpowered by the experience she had when she kissed Naruto.

They leaned in again, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss, loving the feeling of each other's lips pressed against their own and the emotions that came with it. After several minutes of kissing the two broke apart for air. They both noticed a shadow around them and wondered where it was coming from.

"Look up Sakura-chan." He said looking towards the sky, Sakura still in his embrace. Doing as she was told, she looked up to see a cloud looming over them.

"It's a heart shaped cloud."

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_There it is. The final chapter. I kind of had a block here and there, but I hope it turned out alright. Please review!_


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